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Patented Jan. l0, I899.

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c. c BRADLEY. ITHILL COUPLING. (Application filed July 1-1, 1898 No. 6l7,559.

(.No Model.)

auma, wpsumcaou n c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHRISTOPHER O. BRADLEY, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO- CHRISTOPHER O. BRADLEY, JR., OF SAME PLACE.

THILL-COIUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 617,559, dated January 10, 1899.

Application filed July 14, 1 89 8.

T0 ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHRISTOPHER C. BRAD- LEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Thin-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of thillcouplings in which the draft-eye is provided with a hinged or pivoted jaw which is held down'upon the wrist or knuckle in the drafteye bya suitable fastening or locking device, which is most generally a spring device, which not only holds the jaw down, but also takes up the wear of the parts. When it is desired to remove the wrist or knuckle from the drafteye, the fastening or locking device of the hinged jaw is released and the hinged jaw is swung open. It often happens that for a long time there is no occasion for removing the wrist from the draft-eye and that the hinged jaw is not moved for so long a time that its pivot becomes set by rust and dirt, so that the jaw cannot be swung open when the occasion arises except by applying so great a force that the jaw or its pivot is liable to be injured or broken. WVhen the movable jaw has so become set or unyielding, it no longer responds to the pressure of the spring tending to take up wear, and the spring is liable to take a set, which renders it unfit to further act as a means for taking up wear.

The object of this invention is to overcome this difficulty and to connect the movable jaw to the fixed portion of the draft-eye by a pivot device which is so free in its action that the jaw is not liable to become set and which is simple, cheap, and durable.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a thill-coupling provided with my improvement and showing the movable jaw closed. Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing the movable jaw open. Fig. 4 is a detached side view of the fixed portion of the draft-eye. Fig. 5 is a vertical crosssection through the pivotal connection in line 5 5, Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a similar viewof the parts preparatory to connecting the movable jaw with the fixed jaw. Fig. 7 is a vertical Serial a. 685,899. (No model.)

cross-section showing a slightly-modified pivotal connection. a modified construction of the pivotal connection preparatory to connecting the movable jaw with the fixed jaw. Fig. 9 is a similar view showing the jaws connected. Fig. 10 is a cross-section of another modified construction of the pivotal connection preparatory to connecting the movable jaw with the fixed jaw. Fig. 11 is a similar View showing the jaws connected.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

A represents the front axle of the vehicle.

B is the fixed portion of the draft-eye, secured to the under side of the axle by a clip a and provided at its front end with an up turned fixed jaw 17.

O is the thill-iron, having a wrist or knuckle c, which may be of any suitable form and construction, that shown in the drawings be- Fig. Sis a cross-section of ing spherical and covered by a correspondingly-shaped washer or bushing (Z.

G represents the movable jaw of the drafteye, which closes the mouth of the fixed jaw and bears upon the wrist resting in the latter. The movable jaw is pivotally connected at its rear end to the stationary portion of the drafteye, so as to be capable of swinging vertically and completing the inclosure of the wrist when closed down, as shown in Fig.1,while permitting the wrist to be removed when swung up, as shown in Fig. 3. The movable jaw is provided in its under side with a recess corresponding with the form of the wrist.

The fastening device for the movable jaw shown in the drawings is of well-known construction, and consists of a bent spring I, secured to the under side of the axle, a clamping-lever J, pivoted to the free end of the spring, and a link or bail K, connecting this lever to the movable jaw. Any other suitable fastening device may, however, be employed.

The pivotal connection between the mov-- is secured a ball Z, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, or a cylindrical plug Z, having spherical or similar ends, as shown in Fig. 7. This ball or plug is secured in the opening of the lug by driving the same in to the opening. The width of the lug is somewhat less than the diameter of the ball or the length of the cylindrical plug, so that the ball or plug projects on both sides of the lug, forming spherical or similar projections or protuberances on the longitudinal side face of the lug. This ball or plug is preferably made of brass or other material which does not rust, while the fixed and movable jaws are preferably made of iron or steel by drop -forging. The rear portion of the movable jaw is bifurcated, so as to straddle the lug L, and is provided in the inner faces of its members on with recesses 42, which correspond in form with the projections or protuberances on the lug. The movable jaw is made with the two members m of its bifurcated rear portion spread or distended, as shown in Fig. (5, to such an extent that they can be dropped over the lug and its projections. The recesses are then engaged with the projections of the lug by closing the two members of the jaw against the lug by means of a cold-shut, as shown in Fig. 5. This pivotal connection works freely under all circumstances, is not liable to become set or unserviceable when not moved for a long time, and requires no attention to keep it in working order, while it is very simple, cheap, an

durable.

N represents a loop of ordinary construction secured to the under side of the fixed jaw in the ordinary manner for receiving a safety-strap.

The arrangement of the interlocking pivotal projections and recesses may be reversed, if desired, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, in which the lug L, carrying the ball Z, is arranged on the movable jaw, and the stationary jaw is provided with upwardly-projecting ears 0, containing the recesses 19 in their opposing or inner sides. These ears diverge upwardly,

as shown in Fig. 8, to receive the lug L and ball Z between them and are then closed by a cold-shut against the lug L, so that the recesses embrace the laterally-projecting piv- 5o otal projections of the lug, as shown in Fig. 9.

As shown in Figs. 10 and 11, the pivotal projections q can also be formed on the inner sides of the bifurcated rear portion of the movable jaw and the recesses r in the sides of the lug on the stationary jaw, and these projections and recesses can be conical, as shown in these figures.

I do not Wish to claim in this application any invention which is claimed in my pending application filed July 9, 1808, Serial No. 685,466.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination with the fixed and movable jaws of a thill-coupling, of a lug formed on one of said jaws and a bifurcated portion formed on the other jaw, having their adjacent side faces provided with shallow pivotal projections and corresponding recesses which permit of the engagement of said projections in said recesses by spreading the members of the bifurcated portion suificiently to enable said projections to be placed in line with said recesses and then closing the members of said bifurcated portion against the sides of said lug, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with the fixed jaw having an upwardly-proj ectin g lug provided with spherical pivot projections 011 its sides, of a bifurcated movable jaw having in the inner faces of its bifurcated portion spherical recesses in which the projections on the stationary jaw engage, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination with the fixed jaw having a lug provided with a transverse opening and a ball arranged in said opening and projecting beyond the sides of said lug, of a bifurcated movable jaw having in the inner faces of its bifurcated portion spherical recesses in which the projecting portions of said ball engage, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 30th day of June, 1898.

CHRISTOPHER C. BRADLEY.

Vitnesses:

CALVIN S. BUNNELL, F. L. SCI-IARFF. 

